Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Persecute me?

Gu An almost laughed.

Whoever wished to persecute him was simply courting death.

With the function of foreseeing life-threatening enemies in place, he could sense hostility directed towards his true self immediately.

At least for now, no one harbored hostility towards him.

Gu An was usually kind to others, making it difficult for anyone to develop hostility towards him, except for those in the Supreme Sect, not many knew him.

Facing Lv Baitian's gaze, Gu An frowned and pondered, "I can't say for sure, I treated him quite well, but when the Sword Sect chased him, I urged him to abandon the Hateful Heaven Divine Sword, perhaps he also harbors resentment towards me."

Lv Baitian nodded, "Having grievances is a good thing, at least you won't become his weakness, but you still have to pray he doesn't hate you, otherwise if he grows powerful, you'll be in trouble."

His tone turned teasing towards the end.

Gu An shrugged and said, "I trust the Supreme Sect will protect me well; if I encounter trouble while staying here, then that would mean big trouble for the Supreme Sect."

"You cheeky kid, mocking me, are you?"

"Not at all, I trust you, Sect Leader, so please stop teasing me. As a Minor Cultivator like me, I'd rather not get involved in serious troubles—Ephemera Sect, Hateful Heaven Divine Sword, the fewer ties the better," said Gu An helplessly.

Seeing his expression, Lv Baitian suddenly felt ashamed and thought that he should not tease him.

He does not possess the cultivation level of the Nine Layers of the Unification Realm, facing the threat of the Hateful Heaven Divine Sword would definitely make him panic, he was just feigning calmness.

Thinking so, Lv Baitian's face turned serious and said, "If you just avoid leaving the Supreme Sect, you should be safe, at least within the Supreme Sect, I promise your safety!"

Clearly, he was alluding to Gu An's trip to Tianya Valley.

Although Lv Baitian did not know where Tianya Valley was, he was aware that Gu An frequently left Mystic Valley, yet he never pressed him about it.

Lv Baitian began talking about Li Xuandao.

The Taicang Dynasty's offensive was fierce, having opened up no fewer than five battlefronts in alliance with the Great Yu Dynasty, and the neighboring dynasties were nearly unable to hold on.

Lv Baitian genuinely disliked Li Xuandao, but he had to admit Li Xuandao was very adept at utilizing talent, always able to unearth geniuses or capable generals.

From Gu An's perspective, he hoped that Li Xuandao would unify the nine dynasties because only then could they better resist the calamity from demons.

Once unified, they could establish order, and only then could the world be peaceful and on the Righteous Path!

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World peace would help him to lay low.

For lower-tier cultivators as well, peace was beneficial; they might encounter fewer opportunities, but how many lower-tier cultivators could truly turn their lives around using those opportunities?

At least, the ones transformed by these opportunities were far fewer than those who died in the struggles.

The two talked for a long time, not stopping until the evening, when Lv Baitian finally departed.

Gu An was not sure if it was his illusion, but he felt that Lv Baitian had lost much of his edge compared to years before.

...

Star-Master Cave.

Gu An, wearing a mask, appeared on the cliff; his Divine Sense swept out and spotted An Hao in a cave with a pool filled with blood-red water inside. An Hao was cultivating in the pool, his Qi-Blood strength continuously increasing.

Si Yan'er was in the woods, practicing her footwork.

Having spent two years in this Grotto Heaven, An Hao and Si Yan'er had both obtained different inheritances; their strengths had soared. It would take many more years for them to fully inherit Daoist Star-Master's legacies, as Daoist Star-Master possessed Mahayana cultivation level, and left behind extensive inheritances.

Despite An Hao's exceptional talent, it would still take a considerable amount of time to absorb them.

Gu An just glanced once, then went to gather the spiritual and celestial treasures of the forest.

His presence was concealed, undetected by the Spirit Beasts within the cave.

These Unification Realm Spirit Beasts were quite docile and had already formed a bond with An Hao, but to avoid unnecessary trouble, Gu An still chose to move stealthily.

An hour later, Gu An left, satisfied.

This trip, he had gained 50,000 years of life span.

Since nobody had sown seeds in the Star-Master Cave, and Gu An was reluctant to do so for fear of attracting people from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, he could only patiently wait for the celestial treasures of the cave to grow naturally. Thus, he did not harvest much; wherever he went, he left half of the celestial treasures to seed on their own.

He quickly made his way to Nianchu Cave.

Last month, one night, under Gu An's setup, Tian Yao'er successfully crossed her Tribulation and stepped into the Core Formation Realm; since then, she had been consolidating her cultivation level.

After landing, Gu An felt her demonic power had stabilized, indicating that she had solidified her cultivation level.

He deliberately made footsteps, walking towards a garden.

Tian Yao'er pushed open the door and, like a breeze, arrived beside Gu An, instantly hugging his left arm, excitedly saying, "Master, my Demon Core has completely solidified, and I've even gained a Divine Skill!"

Feeling the softness from his left arm, Gu An internally remarked, Demons indeed remain demons, appearing slender yet having an exaggerated figure.

He naturally withdrew his arm, walked a few steps forward, and then bent down to pick herbs, simultaneously asking, "What Divine Skills?"

Tian Yao'er came to his side, bent over with her hands on her knees, and chuckled, "A shape-shifting Divine Skill, I'm really formidable now."

As her words fell, a burst of demonic energy spread from her body, obscuring her figure.

Gu An turned his head, and as the demonic energy dissipated, Tian Yao'er had unexpectedly transformed into his likeness, even her aura was similar, with no trace of demonic power visible.

That had certainly surprised him.

This divine skill is impressive!

Gu An tossed the herbs he had picked into his storage bag and stood up. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Can this divine skill be taught to me?"

Tian Yao'er shook her head and said, "I wish I could, but there are no mental methods or incantations for this skill. It seems like a natural ability I was born with, akin to speaking. I can use it easily, but I'm unclear on how to cultivate it specifically."

She shifted back to her original form, demonic energy swirling around her, and pounced towards Gu An's mask.

Gu An stepped back as Tian Yao'er, clad in red, placed her hands on her hips and laughed proudly, "Master, what do you think? Isn't my divine skill impressive?"

Her bright eyes curved into crescent moons, compelling Gu An to stretch out his hand and ruffle her hair, messing it up.

After praising Tian Yao'er a few times, Gu An urged her to continue her cultivation.

It was rare for Gu An to visit, and Tian Yao'er did not want to cultivate, so she stood by, chattering incessantly about trivial matters such as a flower growing askew or bumping into a tree while practicing the Limitless Freedom Step.

She could only stay inside Nianchu Cave, rarely encountering demon creatures. If it were Gu An, he wouldn't have so much to talk about.

Gu An was not annoyed; instead, he listened attentively, occasionally jumping into the conversation, making Tian Yao'er even happier.

After a long time.

Tian Yao'er followed Gu An to a stone table, where Gu An took out bottles of elixirs, all meant for cultivation, and instructed her on how to consume them.

"Once you master the Limitless Freedom Step, I can take you out for a tour," Gu An said earnestly to Tian Yao'er.

Having been in Nianchu Cave for many years, Tian Yao'er had never expressed a desire to go out. She had been very serious about handling herbs, at least Gu An couldn't find fault with her.

Gu An had accepted Tian Yao'er and no longer treated her as a demon slave.

Tian Yao'er didn't show excitement; instead, she pouted, "The Limitless Freedom Step is too hard to learn; I don't know how many years it will take me to master it."

"The Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother didn't become powerful just through decades of cultivation; all the powerhouses in this world endure long, lonely periods before they can do as they please," Gu An said earnestly.

Tian Yao'er nodded and declared, "I know, I will definitely work hard on my cultivation!"

Gu An noticed that she no longer clamored for revenge; he wasn't sure if she had hidden these thoughts or completely abandoned them.

He didn't leave immediately but sat down and started to teach Tian Yao'er about the Primordial Earth Immortal Skill.

Core Formation was just the beginning; there was still a long path ahead for Tian Yao'er.

If he could cultivate a supreme Great Demon, Gu An would certainly feel a sense of accomplishment.

Tian Yao'er's maximum lifespan was eighteen thousand years, meaning she would be the one who could accompany him the longest.

Perhaps not wanting to be lonely later, Gu An's teaching of Tian Yao'er was in no way less diligent than his teaching of An Hao.

...

Dark clouds covered the sky, and the mountainous terrain was uneven. Looking around, the flora was sparse, and most of the trees were dry and leafless.

Bleak, deathly silent.

Two figures walked through the mountains, one of whom was Gu An's disciple, Su Han.

Decades had passed, and Su Han had undergone a complete transformation. He wore black clothes and carried a bone sword on his back. A red cord tied around his forehead secured his casually tied black hair, and his eyes emitted a fierce aura, cold and indifferent.

Walking in front of Su Han was a frail old man who kept turning back with a submissive, apologetic smile.

"Young master, up ahead is the habitat of the Sky Dragon, a Holy Beast. Although this Sky Dragon is less than a hundred years old, it is capricious; you must be careful," the frail old man warned.

Su Han looked ahead; amid the darkness, a large mountain loomed, intermittently emitting roaring sounds that made the surroundings eerily terrifying.

He ordered, "You go ahead and lure it out; I'll follow shortly."

Upon hearing this, the frail old man's face fell, and he quickly waved his hands, "I fear my cultivation level is…"

Su Han's gaze turned icy, causing the man to shudder and hurriedly agree. He then flew towards the direction he had pointed and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Soon, a dragon's roar erupted from ahead, shaking the heavens and earth.

Su Han then took off the bone sword from his back, emitting a fearful black aura from his orifices, making him appear as if possessed by a demon.

"Arrogance! Who dares to trespass the forbidden land of the Ancient Sky Sect!"

An angry, elderly shout rang out as a man in a gray robe flashed across the mountaintop, charging at Su Han.

Su Han, with his back to the man, didn't turn around and continued moving forward.

At that moment, a ghostly figure appeared behind him, raising its palm and striking, with terrifying demonic energy forming into a giant black wing.

The gray-robed man's face changed and he used his Spiritual Power to defend himself, but he was still sent flying.

"I advise you to pretend you didn't see anything; otherwise, to die and dissolve would be a regrettable fate," a cold female voice emanated from the mysterious ghostly figure.

If Gu An were there, he would have recognized her voice.

Ghost Mother of Ephemera!